Research

My PhD research focuses on the detection and characterization of supermassive black holes through high-resolution spectroscopic observations and dynamical modeling. Using some of the largest ground- and space-based observatories, I measure the motions of stars in other galaxies, which I then use as constraints for state of the art galaxy models using the Schwarzschild orbit-superposition technique. This specific method not only enables precise measurements of the supermassive black hole mass, stellar mass-to-light ratio, and dark matter content, but also allows me to constrain the intrinsic three-dimensional shape of a galaxy.

Prior to graduate school, I studied novel methods of dark matter detection with Cosmin Ilie at Colgate University. We studied self-annihilating dark matter as an additional heating source for Pop. III stars, and showed that future observations have the possibility to place some of the most stringent constraints on the dark matter cross section.

Publications

You can find a list of my publications on Google Scholar!